Nelson Gunsmithing Takes a Taurus 856 & 327 to the Next Level

I’m no stranger to Taurus firearms, and even less so regarding revolvers in general. In 2023, I conducted a long-term review of the 856 Defender TORO, followed by a review of the 327 Defender TORO in mid-2024. They worked reasonably well but certainly left room for improvement. During this time, I had the opportunity to speak with the folks over at Nelson Gunsmithing about what I’d like to see improved on both revolvers.

Things for Nelson Gunsmithing to Improve

Neither of my Taurus revolvers had any issues that would’ve prevented me from carrying them. However, they did need some improvements before being viable for classes or competition, where reloads occur more often and round counts begin to climb. The 856 TORO, in particular, gave me some trouble on the clock.

Below are the main issues faced by each gun.

Taurus 856 TORO

Ejector rod sticking when pressed
Side of hammer contacting frame, causing drag, which impacts the trigger press

Taurus 327 TORO

Visibly rough and uneven forcing cone
Significant blowback of carbon and shaved lead when firing unjacketed ammunition
Slightly oblong bullet holes on target at 25 yards

The side of the hammer on the 856 was contacting frame, causing drag, which impacts the trigger press.

While these issues are suboptimal, I had no issues keeping rounds in a B8 Repair Center at 25 yards or passing a Super Revolver Test.

Those are some of my primary performance metrics for guns that may serve a defensive purpose. While boxes are being checked, they’re still getting asterisks beside them. Things aren’t bad, but they can be better.

Nelson Gunsmithing

This is where Nelson Gunsmithing comes into play. After chatting for a while, I sent both of my guns in to get cleaned up.

Here’s what Erik Nelson has to say about his work on these two Taurus revolvers:

“The 856 and 327 came to us for an action job upgrade as well as correcting some manufacturing errors.

“An ‘action job’ is our shop term for what most people would call a trigger job. Our approach is more comprehensive than simply reducing the trigger pull weight. We use a holistic approach that addresses every part of the revolver to correct any manufacturing or design defects. Through this process, we can deliver a substantially smoother and lighter trigger pull without compromising reliability. Hence, ‘action job’.

“The 327 had a rough and improperly cut forcing cone. We used an 18-degree forcing cone cutter tool to correctly cut the forcing cone. This solved the issue of bullet tumbling. The forcing cone was fortunately concentric to the bore. Had it been misaligned, the only solution would be to replace the entire barrel.

The 327 had a rough and improperly cut forcing cone. Nelson Gunsmithing corrected the problem, fixing the tumbling issue.

“The 856 had a small burr on the extractor claw arm inside the cylinder. This was causing noticeable binding on ejection. This was corrected with minor polishing and filing work.

“Both guns were test-fired multiple times before being returned to the customer.”

The differences between the guns before and after getting work done were immediately noticeable. But how do things perform on the range?

Range Time

After a few weeks, I got my 856 and 327 back in hand and headed to the range. Many rounds were fired over the course of a few sessions. During my testing, I fired a mix of drills and slow fire to get a feel for how things have changed.

While not specified here, Nelson fired an additional dozen rounds through both guns during the company’s quality control testing.

Taurus 327 TORO

50x Aguila 98gr .32 S&W Long LRN
100x Magtech 98gr .32 S&W Long LRN
7x PPU .32 S&W Long LRN
12x rounds 32 Long during Nelson’s time with the gun

Taurus 856 TORO

30x Handload 130gr .38 Special FMJ
100x PMC Bronze 132gr .38 Special FMJ
- 1x Light primer strike, fired on second strike

While both guns were serviceable for carry beforehand, there have been noticeable improvements in both after returning from Nelson’s.

The 856 got some extra love, which really shows. While its trigger has been lightened and smoothed, it still cracks primers reliably. Likewise, my old issues of a stuck ejector rod are long gone.

With the 327, the issues of getting blowback and spalling from the forcing cone are gone. While accuracy was reasonable beforehand, I’m no longer getting the slight tumbling I previously saw. The action itself has also been improved. However, the results are not quite as dramatic since it started in a better place.

Both Taurus revolvers operated much better after Nelson Gunsmithing worked its magic.

Other Opinions

In addition to my shooting, I’ve had about half a dozen shooters run them to gather their thoughts. Most of these shooters had never previously shot a revolver. Those who had wheelgun experience had never handled a Taurus.

Everyone commented on the stellar action of the 856. Some of the more elderly shooters had a much easier time getting off good shots than with other guns we tried.

Final Thoughts on Nelson Gunsmithing

Overall I’m really pleased with the work done by the folks over at Nelson Gunsmithing. They did a stellar job cleaning up both the Taurus 856 and 327. Their prices are reasonable, the timelines are short, and the work is fantastic. For those curious, they also work on modern semiautomatic pistols as well.

If you’re thinking of getting some work done to your revolvers or pistols, give Nelson Gunsmithing some serious consideration.

For more information, please visit NelsonGunsmithing.com.

Author’s Note: Nelson Gunsmithing performed this work free of charge for purposes of this review. No expectation of positive coverage was provided by either party.